Author:
Matt Kormann
Bowhunting season opened for whitetail in Georgia last weekend, and judging from the conversation, it feels like we’ve been preparing for it for several months. Since climbing into my first treestand nearly a year ago, I am surprised by the number of hunters I meet these days. Whether it’s my doctor, guys at the gym, or my Lyft driver during a recent business trip, the talk has been deer season for quite some time!
Kormann is ready to get back into the woods this fall. Photo Credit: ATA
I’m more than ready to stop talking and get back into the woods. This week, I’ll be back up a tree in Georgia. That has me thinking about the entire process of bowhunting. For me, practicing is one of the highlights. I always enjoy flinging arrows, but when the goal is to make a better shot on a live target, my process shifts. Where I might have focused on making the exact same shot each time on a target face, now I’m mixing it up. Last season taught me – really quickly – that we can’t design our shots in the woods. I’m preparing for those more challenging aspects: odd angles, longer holds and focusing clearly on my sight picture. If I’m fortunate enough to find my first whitetail within range, I want to make one flawless shot and fill the freezer.
I also enter this deer season with a very different perspective than last year. I was fortunate to have some of the best mentors in the business. They taught me what to bring – and what to leave home. They coached me to a level of comfort in an uncomfortable situation. But nothing could’ve prepared me for my first shots in the woods. The only thing I’d do differently? Practice those tough shots and pay more heed to the wise folks who warned me about buck fever. I think I’ve improved on the shot-making aspect. I’ll continue to hone that skill. I also think success during spring turkey season will help with some of those deer nerves.
He's eager to bag both deer and turkeys this year. Photo Credit: ATA
I’m not just thinking about deer season, though. Bagging that Jake this spring, with a great coach and mentor in Dan Forster beside me, really lit a fire for other hunting experiences. I’m eager to get after some upland birds this fall, too. I have plans to get into the upper Midwest and can’t wait to test myself in that game.
Kormann visits archery parks and ranges and loves seeing the dedication that goes into one-on-one instruction. Photo Credit: ATA
Of course, I’ve had to do some shopping. I had an incredible experience just last week at a new shop near our home in Georgia. Primarily a firearms retailer, they’re knocking it out of the park on archery, too. They’re all about the experience, with multiple archery and firearms ranges, private and group instruction and educational opportunities. The day I stopped in, Coach Billy was providing back-to-back lessons to youth and adult bowhunters and target archers. He was so busy we only had a few minutes to chat. But watching him work patiently to improve a young boy’s bow grip reminded me that we’ve got a bright future ahead of us.
Where and when is your next hunt? I’d love to hear all about it here or on Facebook.
